Presentation of priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean

It is an honour to address you on this second day of the Senior Officers Meeting of the 38th FAO Regional Conference to address the challenges and opportunities facing our region, and to direct our efforts towards a common, dynamic and more operational vision for defining the priorities of FAO technical cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In recent years, we have seen modest economic growth in the region. However, this growth was marked by various challenges, such as persistent inequality, poverty, the adverse effects of climate change, conflicts and the effects generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These events have had an impact on job creation, inclusive growth and investment, among other aspects, which could delay the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Furthermore, we face the scenario of high food prices, especially in a region where the cost of a healthy diet is one of the highest compared to the rest of the world.

Thus, for the period 2024-2025, we have identified four central challenges impacting agrifood systems that affect the subregions differently, and to which we must be prepared to respond effectively. These are:

• Low economic growth.
• Persistent poverty and inequality in rural areas.
• High levels of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.
• The effects of climate change and ecosystem degradation.

As discussed in previous sessions, Latin America and the Caribbean was one of the few regions in the world that recorded progress in reducing the prevalence of hunger. However, there is a clear urgency to move towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, which have a positive impact on people and the planet.

In this context, we propose for Members' analysis the following four priorities, under the FAO Strategic Framework, and in support of the 2030 Agenda, to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.

The first priority is aimed at promoting efficient, inclusive and sustainable production.

The promotion and strengthening of agricultural, livestock and forestry activities, as well as the sustainable development of fishing and aquaculture, are key pillars to guarantee food security and mitigate the degradation of ecosystems.

It is crucial to develop strategies that encourage the adoption and effective dissemination of innovative technologies and practices to advance towards sustainable agricultural production, the blue transformation, strengthening the One Health approach and guaranteeing equitable access of small-scale producers to resources, while emphasizing the importance of digital agriculture.

We will encourage the effective and sustainable management of fisheries and promote the sustainable intensification and expansion of aquaculture.

We will work to improve access to land, natural resource rights and financial services for vulnerable groups, in order to promote sustainable practices in agriculture, water and soil management, pest control and transboundary diseases, seed conservation and the reduction of plastic pollution.

We will support improving the access to and use of relevant technologies, such as digital and financial solutions, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and family farmers, strengthening national rural extension and technology transfer services, adapting them to new agricultural trends and ensuring that they effectively reach those who need them most.

We will also prioritize the sustainable management of low-emission livestock farming and solutions based on nature, ecosystems and ancestral knowledge. In this regard, we will emphasise the implementation of

actions related to the International Year of Camelids, as a subsistence alternative for rural families, which contributes to food security, nutrition and economic growth, while highlighting its social and cultural importance.

The second proposed priority is: end hunger and achieve food security and nutrition.

Under this approach, we will promote healthy diets for all, collaborating closely with global, regional and national institutions to design and support the implementation of evidence-based policies that guarantee equitable access to nutritious foods.

This includes supporting the implementation of the CELAC Food Security and Nutrition Plan 2024-2030 (CELAC FNS Plan), the update of which was unanimously approved by the Heads of State and Government of the region.

We also recognize the efforts of the G20 Task Force for the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, a proposal presented by the Brazilian G20 presidency. In this regard, we express the technical support of FAO to contribute to this initiative.

We will focus on improving the nutrition of the most vulnerable and expanding social protection mechanisms through specific policies to reduce inequalities and promote healthy eating habits.

We will promote actions to guarantee food safety, strengthening food control systems and addressing antimicrobial resistance through an integrated public health approach.

In Parallel, we will continue to implement measures to contribute to the reduction of food loss and waste, collaborating closely with the different actors in the agrifood system to develop effective and sustainable strategies.

In addition, we will work to improve intraregional and international agrifood trade, promoting more equitable and efficient trade within the region, and strengthening the inclusion of small-scale producers in international markets.

The third priority will address the sustainable management of natural resources and adaptation to climate change.

We will support countries in the adoption and implementation of policies to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation responses in agriculture. This includes facilitating their access to environmental and climate financing, while contributing to the monitoring and compliance of international commitments, in addition to the generation of information for national reports.

We will also strengthen the use of regional platforms, such as the Platform for Climate Action on Agriculture of Latin America and the Caribbean (PLACA), the Latin American Technical Cooperation Network on National Parks, other Protected Areas, Wild Flora and Fauna (RedParques) and the Regional Soil Partnership.

We will work to improve water security and governance and its integrated management, as well as sustainable land management and the restoration of ecosystems such as forests and coastal areas, through the conservation, use and restoration of biodiversity in productive systems, while integrating agroecological principles and the diverse and complementary knowledge of local communities.

We are committed to supporting our Members to design and implement local food and nutrition policies, involving the agrifood industry, SMEs and farmers' associations, thereby strengthening urban agrifood systems. This will contribute to promoting access to healthy diets through better urban-rural linkages for nutrition.

In addition, the region will once again host important global events. At FAO, we reaffirm our willingness to provide technical assistance for the preparation of COP 30 to be held in Brazil in 2025, and COP 16 on Biodiversity, which will be held in Colombia in 2024.

The fourth and final priority will address the reduction of rural inequalities, poverty and the promotion of resilience.

The reduction of rural inequalities and poverty, as well as the promotion of climate resilience, are crucial objectives to guarantee rural development in a comprehensive manner.

We highlight the importance of strengthening agrifood systems to promote greater inclusion and resilience in rural communities, while enhancing technical capacities and participatory governance in rural areas.

FAO proposes to address these challenges by promoting gender equality and the empowerment of rural women, which are key aspects for inclusive rural transformation. We will seek to strengthen policies that expand economic opportunities for women, promoting their leadership and innovative capacity to drive rural transformation.

We will continue to support policies that recognize and encourage the participation of rural actors, including women, youth, the elderly, indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants, in order to guarantee their participation in decision-making and land-use planning.

As part of this priority, the Hand-in-Hand Initiative is a key tool to increase investments in agriculture and rural development and strengthen the generation of subnational, national and regional public goods, through data reporting and statistics, governance mechanisms, political dialogue, cooperation and investment platforms with international donors.

We will also promote measures to better address agricultural and food emergencies, providing technical assistance in the development of early warning systems, post-crisis recovery and strengthening community preparedness for adverse events.

We recognize that meeting these challenges will not be easy; for this reason, we propose greater harmonization of FAO's programmatic approach in the region, as well as our commitment to continue strengthening staff capabilities and institutional planning and monitoring procedures.

We will implement innovative mechanisms to speed up the approval and monitoring of projects, with the aim of achieving more efficient, sustainable execution and greater impact.

Regarding knowledge management, we will continue to advance in the development and application of effective mechanisms for the generation of information, as well as in the implementation of actions for the dissemination of learning products and tools. We are also committed to strengthening the FAO Campus programme for capacity development, innovation and the transformation of agrifood systems.

In addition, we will move forward in the formulation of the new generation of FAO Country Programming Frameworks, which will serve as planning instruments with analytical methodologies to propose specific solutions adapted to the needs of each country. In this regard, we will use FAO's specialized technical knowledge to support the transformation of agrifood systems.

We will continue to implement the Resource and Investment Mobilization Strategy for the period 2023-2030, focused on diversifying resources from different partners, obtaining financing for the development of projects of interest to the countries, enhancing formulation capacity and improving both internal and external communication.

We are at a point where investing in agrifood systems is crucial, especially in regions where hunger, food insecurity and inequalities persist.

There is evidence that the cost of inaction to combat hunger and food insecurity could exceed up to three times the investment costs for the development of the agrifood sector, with significant losses in productivity, economic growth and health costs, which are reflected in health problems, malnutrition and perpetuating cycles of intergenerational poverty.

Furthermore, unsustainable agricultural practices contribute to environmental degradation and threaten the sustainability of agrifood systems, and therefore, the right to adequate food.

The transition towards a vision of greater efficiency, inclusion, resilience and sustainability will require a new approach that prioritizes objectives that can be realized in the medium and long-term and addresses response

measures, through the implementation of programmes, strategies and investments with high transformation potential.

The year 2024 could become a turning point for the region to achieve a comprehensive transformation of agrifood systems, positively impacting people, prosperity, the planet, partnerships and peace, while contributing to the achievement of the goals established in the 2030 Agenda.

We are more than halfway to the deadline to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, but Latin America and the Caribbean has shown the will and commitment to advance on this path, developing actions and solutions based on food and agriculture that contribute to closing social, economic and environmental gaps.

The decisions and recommendations of this session will be crucial to define programmes that guide the work of FAO through the definition of priorities that are adapted to the needs and demands of the 33 Member Nations.

Let us continue to work in a spirit of cooperation to identify the optimal solutions that allow us to move towards better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Thank you very much.